Blizzard announces third edition of Overwatch World Cup

Blizzard has announced another edition of the Overwatch World Cup in 2018, with the final stage set for the balmy weather of southern California in November.

As qualification begins immediately Blizzard will track the average skill rating for each country’s top 150 players from now until the end of season nine by April 28.

Fans can track their progress on the Overwatch World Cup website, and the top 20 countries when the qualification period ends will be invited to the Overwatch World Cup.

Blizzard added that group stage fixtures are set to be held in France, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States, and in turn, these nations will qualify automatically to the tournament to bring the total teams to 24.

Three people will make up each country’s selection committee — including a general manager, a coach, and a community lead. The general manager will be selected by Blizzard, while the top 150 players from a country will vote for the coach.

The community lead on the other hand will be selected by all players in a country.

All committee members will be paid for their time, with travel and accommodations included by Blizzard, as they hold tryouts for the team from June 1 to July 5. Players who participated in the Overwatch League players could try out for teams, which can have up to 12 players, although only seven will be allowed to travel to the live event.

Blizzard added that more information about phase one voting will be released soon.